Troubleshooting: Common Issues and Solutions
Solutions to the most common problems with free tier limits and technical issues
Common Issues and Solutions
This chapter addresses the most frequent problems encountered when running a solopreneur tech stack on free tiers. Each issue includes symptoms, root causes, and practical solutions.
Preventive Measures: Most free tier limits can be avoided with proper monitoring. Set up alerts for:
- Vercel bandwidth usage (Settings → Usage)
- Supabase database size (Dashboard → Database → Storage)
- GitHub Actions minutes (Settings → Billing)
- Mailchimp contact count (Audience → Settings)
Emergency Contacts and Resources
Vercel Support: https://vercel.com/support (free tier has community support only)
Supabase Support: https://supabase.com/dashboard/support (email support for all tiers)
GitHub Support: https://support.github.com (public forums for free tier)
Mailchimp Support: https://mailchimp.com/contact/ (email support for all tiers)
DNS Propagation Checker: https://dnschecker.org (verify DNS record updates globally)
Email Authentication Tester: https://www.mail-tester.com (test SPF/DKIM/DMARC setup)
When to Upgrade: If encountering the same limit 3+ times in a month, the free tier may no longer be appropriate. Calculate the cost of time spent troubleshooting versus paying for a higher tier. For most solopreneurs, upgrading one critical service (e.g., Vercel bandwidth) is more cost-effective than managing constant workarounds.